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When people with severe hearing loss undergo cochlear implant surgery, there is significant variability in the implantation of the electrode array, impacting outcomes. Lehigh Valley Health Network is one of the first of 10 medical centers in the U.S. – and the first in Pennsylvania – to use iotaMotion’s iotaSOFT Insertion System to standardize the procedure.
“We are in a rare group of medical centers of leading-edge academic programs that has something like this technology,” explains Ravi Samy, MD, Chief of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery with Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence. Dr. Samy also is a board-certified neurotologist with almost 25 years of experience in cochlear implantation and skull base surgery.
“When you use a robotic system, it advances the electrode literally 1 millimeter at a time with a smooth insertion. No human hand could ever get that level of insertion,” says Dr. Samy, noting that even the best surgeons have a natural tremor.
The tiny iotaSOFT system slows the electrode array insertion to reduce max forces and force variation within the cochlea, resulting in less damage to sensitive areas. Bringing precision, control and confidence, the robotic technology at Lehigh Valley Institute for Surgical Excellence is pushing medicine forward and enabling better outcomes for individuals.
